Uncoupling device



Feb. 9, 1932. -Af E, EVANS 1,844,061

UNCOUPLING DEVICE Filed Jan. 21, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Feb. 9, 1932. A. E. EVANS UNCOUPLING DEVICE Filed Jan. 2l, l930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 9, 1932. A. E. EVANS v UNCOUPLING DEVICE Filed Jan. 21, 19:50

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR mw. mm.\ww uw Patented F eb. 9, 1932 UNrrED STATES PATENT orriee f ALBERT n. EVANS, on PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLvANIA, ASSIGNOR To PITTSBURGH PLATE GLASS COMPANY, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA UNCOUPLING DEVICE Application led rll'anuary 21, 1930. Serial No. 422,455.

The invention relates to a car transfer system designed particularly for handling the cars or tables employed in what is known as a straight away plate glass grinding and polishing operation.V It has for its objects the provision of improved means for facilitat-ing the shifting of the cars between a plurality of parallel tracks and for controlling the coupling and uncoupling of the cars by e the operator of the shifting locomotive.

In the particular arrangement to which the improvement is applied, four parallel tracks are employed, the two central tracks being work tracks passing beneath a series 7 of grinding and polishing runners, and the two outside tracks being return tracks for bringing the grinding tables or cars back toV starting position on the work tracks. Ateach end of the four tracks is a transverse track 'f' carrying a transfer car, and upon the car is mounted a locomotive for pulling the grinding cars onto the transfer car and then pushing them olf. A means is thus provided at each end of the four tracks for shifting the cars from any one of such. tracks to any one of the other of such tracks. The improvement relates particularly to the means at the end of the working tracks and on the locomotive whereby the operator on the locomotive can secure the disengagement of the end car from the next car preliminary to pulling such end car onto the transfer car. Une embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the acy coinpanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation somewhatJ diagrammatic in character showing the parts preliminary to causing the shifting locomotive to make coupling engagement with t-he end car of the train. Fig. 2 is a view similar to one extreme of movement.

O to that of Fig. 1 after the locomotive has been moved into coupling relation with said end car. Fig. 8 is a view similar to that of Figs. 1 and 2 after the uncoupling device'has moved F ig. 4 is a 'la' plan view of the apparatus positioned as in Fig. 2, but with the cars removed. And Fig. 5 is a section on the line V-V of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the track for the work cars, the end cars of which 2 and 3 only are shown, such cars being movedv slowly to the left (Figs. 1 to 4) by any suitable means, such as the racks 4 (Fig. 5) driven from suitable pinions (not shown). Extending transversely of the work track is the transfer track 5 upon which is mounted the transfer car 6. vThis car is provided with a track 7 adapted to lineup with the track 1, such` track carrying the transfer locomotive 8. Y Each -of 4the cars 2, 3 is provided at its left hand end with a Swinging coupler hook 9 operated from a transverse shaft which carries at each end at the side of the car an operating lever 10, the coupling mechanism being similar to that shown in the Evans application, Serial No. 412,210, filed December 6, 1929, and requiring no detailed description. 1t is sufiicient to Say that when the .lever is in the' position shown in Fig. 1, the swinging coupler hook 9 is in locked or engaging position, and that when it isvswung to the left about 90 degrees, the hook 9 is raised, thus detaching it from the hook on the next car, each car being provided on its right hand end with a fixed hook, facing upward, with which the downwardly facing hook 9 is adapted to be engaged.

The locomotive is provided with an upwardly facing coupler hook 11 forming the end of the lever` 12 pivoted at 13 and operated by means of the rod 14 secured at its upper end to the pedal 15. This coupling hook is normally held in uncoupled position by means of the spring 16 and is brought to coupled position by theoperator vseated on the chair 17 when he presses his foot downward. The locomotive is provided at its sides withy a pair' of links 18 mounted for sliding movementand provided with the down-turned ends 19. These links are operated by means of bell crank levers2'0 pivoted' The levers 10 are operated from the links 18 through the intermediary of devices mounted for longitudinal movement at the sides of the track 1 and referred to hereinafter as sleds. These devices comprise longitudinally extending plates 28 provided at their ends with carriages 29 and 30 mounted upon the rollers 31 and These rollers are carried upon tracks or guides in the form of the beams 32a which extend for a considerable distance along the sides'of the track 1, such means terminating at their lefthand ends in inclined parts or cams 32?) which perform a function later explained.

rlhe carriages 30 at the right-hand end of the sleds are provided with bell crank levers 33, whose short ends are connected to rods 34 extending through the flanges 35 carried by the plates of the carriages 30. Springs 36 surrounding such rods are interposed between the flanges 35 and nuts` 37 on the rods so that the levers 33 are yieldingly held in theposition shown. rlrh'ese levers have their ends 38 turned inward, as indicated in Fig. 5, thus adapting them to interlock with the levers 10 when the carriage is moved to the right to the position indicated in Fig. 3.- In moving to this position', the lever 33 must, of course, swing downward in order to pass the lever 10, which movement is permitted by reason of the springs V36, which allow the ends 38 to slide past the levers 10 to the position shown in Fig. 3. lllhen the sleds are now moved to the left from the position of Fig. 3, the ends 38 of the levers 33 engage the levers 10 and swing them to the left to unlocking position.

The carriages 29 at the left-hand ends of the sleds are providedwith bumpers 39 supported by the springs 10 and. adapted to be engaged by the down-turned ends 19 of the links 18 when these members are moved to the right. After the locomotive has been coupled to the endv car 2, the movement of the sleds to the right to the position of Fig. 3 and then back to starting position, as indicated in Fig.Y

2, unlocks the coupler between the cars 2 and 3 so that the locomotive is free to move to the left, pulling the car 2 with it onto the transfer table 6.

In order to permitk the link 18 to pull the sleds to the left, the angular latches 41 are provided upon the carriages 29. These latches are provided with rollers 42 lying over the tops of the beams 32a when the sleds are in the position shownin Fig. 2. At such time the vertical arms of the latches lie behind the down-turned ends 19 of the links 18 so that when the ends 19 are moved to the left, the sled is dragged to the left to perform the unlocking function. When the sleds are moved far enough to the left, so that the rollers 42 ride down' on ythe inclines 322), the latches are released from the ends 19, thusv completegaged with the coupler hook on the end car 2, thus bringing the parts to the position shown in Fig. 2. During this movement, the ends 19 of the links 18 engage the bumpers 39 on thesleds and push them to the right to the position shown in Fig. 2. This movement to the right causes the rollers 42 on the latches l1 to ride up over the inclines or cams 326, thus bringing the ends of the latches up behind the ends 19, as indicated in Fig. 2. The motor 25 is now operated to cause the movement of the links 18 to the right, this movement carrying the sleds to the right to the position indicated in Fig. 3 with the levers 33 in interlocking relation with respect to the coupler levers 10. The continued operation of the motor 25 swings the links 18 to the left, thus moving the sleds to the left to the positionindicated in Fig. 2 and bringing the couplerV levers 10 to the position indicated inl Fig. 2, thus unlocking the coupling at the ends ofthe cars 2.and3. The unlocking operation isnow completed and the locomotiveV is free to move to the left, dragging with it the car 2. By the time this car is taken away and transferred to another track, and the locomotive is returned to its starting position, as shown in Fig. 1, the next work car has been moved along by the train to the end of the track 1 so thatl the parts are in position for a second operation the same as above described. l Vhat I claim is:

1. The combination of a transfer system including a track and a train of work cars thereon provided with couplers at their ends and swinging levers at the sides of the cars for operating the couplers; of a shifting locomotive provided with a coupler for engaging the coupler at the free end of the end car of said train, and means operable from the locomotive for swinging the operating lever of the coupler at the forward end of the second car to release such coupler and free said end car from the train, said means comprising a sled extending along said track and mounted for limited movement longitudinally of the track, means on the end of the sled remote from the locomotive for engaging said lever, and means carried by the locomotive for engaging the other end of the sled and moving it to cause it to swing said lever to unlocking position.

2. The combination in a transfer system including a track and a train of work cars thereon provided with couplers at their ends and swinging levers at the sides of the cars for operating the couplers; of a shifting loco motive providedwith a coupler for engaging the coupler at the free end of the end car of said train, and means operable from the locomotive for swinging the operating lever of the coupler at the forward end of the second car to release such coupler and free said end car from the train, said means comprising a sled extending along said track and mounted for limited movement longitudinally of the track, means on the end of the sled remote from the locomotive for engaging said lever, and means carried by the locomotive for engaging the other end of the sled and reciprocating it so that during one movement said means at the remote end of the sled are caused to engage said lever, and during the reverse movement are caused to move the lever to unlocking position.

3. rlhe combination in a transfer system including` a track and a train of work cars thereon provided with couplers at their ends and swinging levers at the sides of the cars for operating the couplers; of a shifting locomotive provided with a coupler for engaging the coupler at the free end of the end car of said train, and means operable from the locomotive for swinging the operating lever of the coupler at the forward end of the second car to release such coupler and free said end car from the train, said means comprising a sled extending along said track and mounted foil limited movement longitudinally of the track, means on the end of the sled remote from the locomotive for engaging said lever, an abutment at the other end of the sled, a pivoted latch on the sled to the rear of said abutment, a link mounted on the locomotive for movement longitudinally of the track and having a depending end adapted to engage said abutment, means on the locomotive for reciprocating the link and a cam member for moving the latch to operative position behind said depending end and holding it there until said link is moved to the rear far enough to cause the sled to swing said lever to uncoupling position.

at. The combination in a transfer system including a track and a train of work cars thereon provided with couplers at their ends and swinging levers at the sides of the cars for operating the couplers; of a shifting locomotive provided with a coupler for engaging the coupler at the free end of the end car of said tra-in, and means operable from the locomotive for swinging the operating lever of the coupler at the forward end of the second car to release such coupler and free said end car from the train, said means comprising a sled extending along said track and mounted for limited movement longitudinally of the track, means on the end of the sled remote from the locomotive for engaging said lever, an abutment at the other end of the sled, a pivoted latch on the sled to the rear of said abutment, a rail having an inclined end located beneath the line of movement of the sled and adapted to hold the latch in its upper position while the latch lies above such rail, but permits the latch to move down when the latch passes ofil of said inclined end, a link mounted on the locomotive for movement longitudinally of the track with a depending end adapted to lie between said abutment and latch and to engage the abutment on the forward movement of the link and to engage said latch on the rearward movement of the link, and means on the locomotive for reciprocating said link.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 31st day of December, 1929.

ALBERT E. EVANS.

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